Hinged lid cigarette package



Feb. 19, 1963 R. M. LACEY HINGED LID CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed July 24, 1957 INVENTOR.

I RAYMOND M-LACEY FIG.4

ATTORNEY 3,6783%9 LIE) CIGARETTE PACKAGE Raymond M. Lace 346 Roycrofr' Brit a, Rochester, BUY. Filed Juiy 24, 1957, fi er. No. 573,975 Ciaims. (El. 229-44) This invention relates to a package for cigarettes and the like having a corner lid for facilitating access to cigarettes.

It is common practice in opening a pack of cigarettes for the smoker to permanently remove a side portion of one end of the pack to expose the end-most cigarettes for removal. To remove the first cigarette generally requires butting the pack end against an object to cause the end cigarettes to slide out into position by inertia so that a cigarette end can be grasped. Such operation shakes the tobacco loose, weakens the pack, and results in the remaining cigarettes being battered.

The present invention is directed to a cigarette package in which provision is made for exposing the ends of certain of the cigarettes for removal, without necessitating the rough treatment referred to, by providing a hinged corner lid, comprised of portions of the top, end wall, and adjoining front and back faces of the pack. Thus when the corner lid is hinged to open position, the ends of the cigarettes covered by the lid are exposed so that one can grasp a cigarette for removal, without the necessitykfor bumping the pack or otherwise damaging the pac The invention is further directed to a pack which may be formed from a single blank of sheet material such as heavy paper stock or cardboard, and which when formed will be capable of maintaining its shape, and thus protect the cigarettes contained therein from unnecessary damage.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the cigarette pack with a corner opening lid sealed closed as by a revenue stamp;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view slightly enlarged of the corner with the corner lid opened;

FIGURE 3 is a similar fragmentary perspective view slightly enlarged taken from a difierent angle showing the corner lid open; and

FIGURE 4 is a plan inside view of a blank for forming the pack.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown a typical pack for cigarettes having a front face 1%, side wall 12 and a top 14. The corner of the top and side wall 12 is provided with a hinged lid 16 which is adapted to be opened along the lines 13, 2t) and 22 as shown in FIGURE 1, the lid hinging on the scored line 24.

Referring to FiGURES 2, 3

and 4, and particularly the latter,

the blank consists of a single sheet of relatively stiff sheet material and comprises a front face panel 10, a back face panel 26 and a side wall or end face panel 12, and flaps 28 and 30 adapted to be overlapped to form the other end wall. The blank also has bottom flaps 32 and 34 which are adapted to be folded over one another with the end panel flaps 36 and 38 tucked in prior thereto to form the bottom.

The upper end of the blank is provided with top flaps 49 and 42 extending upwardly from the panels 26 and It? and the end panel 28 is provided with an end flap 44. The top flaps are cut short to provide the corner opening. In assembling, the end flap 44 is tucked under the overlapping flaps 4t and 42. It will be appreciated that the blank is scored for bending along the lines 46,

48, 5t! and 52. It is also scored along the line 54 and also scored for bending at the upper edges of the panels 26 and 10 and 28 along the line 56. The panels 10 and 26 respectively are cut along the lines 56 and 58, and 69 and 62 respectively to provide a square corner opening in the pack.

In the blank as shown in FIGURE 4 the cut 56 and the cut 60 are but extensions of the edges 64 and 66 of the cover flaps 40 and 42. The end panel 12 has formed integral therewith at its upper end, a section generally referred to at 67, which is cut from the remaining material of the blank. Such portion 67 is cut to provide flaps 68, 7t), 72 and 74 and end and top panels 76 and 78, which panels are adapted to form the lid. The blank is scored as at St and 82 and also along lines 84 and 86. The flaps 68 and 72, and 70 and 74 are preferably square and upon bending the panel 78 relative to the panel 76 on the score 82 at right angles to each other, the flaps 72 and 74 are adapted to be moved into underlying position with respect to the flaps 7t} and 68. Such flaps may be adhesively secured in such overlapping positrons to provide a rigid lid which will be hingedly connected to the panel 12 along the scoring 80.

Aprons or edge lips 81 and 83 are provided on the inside faces of the panel 1t} and panel 26 and the flap it} respectively in order to provide an overlap of the lid, and a seal with the lid, when the lid is in closed position as, for example, shown in FIGURE 1.

To hold the lid in closed position yieldingly an elastic strip 9t; is adhesively secured to the inside face of the panel 76 and panel 12, such strip being provided with one or more elastic strands 92 which are tensioned when the lid is opened so as to normally urge the lid to closed position.

It will readily appear from the foregoing description that blank 10 when cut in the manner described and provided with the lips 81 and 83 and elastic strip 90, may be folded along the scorings 48 and 50, 54 and 56, 46 and 52 so as to be assembled into a package of the shape shown in FIGURE 1. The square flaps 68, 70, 72 and 74 may then be bent along their respective scorings 84 and 86 and positioned in overlapping relation in respect to one another and adhesively secured to provide a rigid lid.

It w.ll readily appear that the bottom flaps 32, 36 and 33 may be closed as a last operation thereby permitting insertion of cigarettes into the package from the bottom, or the side flaps 23, 30, 38 and 44 may be left open and closed as a last operation for filling the carton from the side. A revenue stamp as indicated at 93 can be applied across the top in overlapping relation with the lid 16 so as to seal the package and force the breakage of such stamp prior to opening.

The lid is shown as formed as a hinged part of the end wall, when an opened pack is slid into a pocket, the lid is caused to ciose, as the pocket is entered, and the elastic hinge is thereby assisted. When the lid is hinged to the open position of FIGURE 2, it is readily apparent that full access to the cigarette ends is provided so that a cigarette, one at a time, can be grasped and removed from the pack.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An expendable package for cigarettes comprising a rectangular carton having a corner hinged lid, said carton being formed from a sheet of thin relatively stiff material, said carton comprising rectangular front and back panels, and a side panel, said side panel being connected to the longer side edges of said front and back panels along folds extending from the bottom thereof terminating short of the top and being adapted to extend lengthwise in relation to cigarettes disposed within the package, substantially square corner portions severed and cut out from said front and back panels to provide cut out areas of a width at least one-third of the width of the front panel, said portions thus cut away forming integral flaps on said side panel, said side panel extending beyond said flaps and being scored crosswise thereof at the bottom and top of said flaps, to form a rectangular side portion hingedly connected to the remainder of said side panel, and a rectangular top portion formed at right angles to said side portion, said top portion having topside flaps disposed in and secured in overlapping relation to said side panel flaps to rigidly secure said top portion at right angles to said side panel portion, and provide complemental portions for the cut out areas of the front and back panels, and flaps extending from the upper edges of said front and back panels and disposed in overlapping relation to form a top for said carton terminating at the cut out areas.

2. An expendable package for cigarettes comprising a rectangular carton having a corner hinged lid, said carton being formed from a sheet of thin relatively stiff material, said carton comprising rectangular front and back panels, and a side panel, said side panel being connected to the longer side edges of said front and back panels along folds extending from the bottom thereof terminating short of the top and being adapted to extend lengthwise in relation to cigarettes disposed within the package, substantially square corner portions severed and cut out from said front and back panels to provide cut out areas of a width at least one-third of the width of the front panel, said portions thus cut away forming integral flaps on said side panel, said side panel extending beyond said flaps and being scored crosswise thereof at the bottom and top of said flaps, to form a rectangular side portion hingedly connected to the remainder of said side panel, and a rectangular top portion formed at right angles to said side portion, said top portion having topside flaps disposed in and secured in overlapping relation to said side panel flaps to rigidly secure said top portion at right angles to said side panel portion, and provide complemental portions for the cut out areas of the front and back panels, flaps extending from the upper edges of said front and back panels and disposed in overlapping relation to form a top for said carton terminating at the cut out areas, and resilient means applied to the inside face of said side panel across the bottom score to yieldingly urge said lid to closed position.

3. An expendable package for cigarettes comprising a rectangular carton having a corner hinged lid, said carton being formed from a sheet of thin relatively stiff material, said carton comprising rectangular front and back panels, and a side panel, said side panel being connected to the longer side edges of said front and back panels along folds extending from the bottom thereof terminating short of the top and being adapted to extend lengthwise in relation to cigarettes disposed within the package, substantially square corner portions severed and cut out from said front and back panels to provide cut out areas of a width at least one-third of the width of the front panel, said portions thus cut away forming integral flaps on said side panel, said side panel extending beyond said flaps and being scored crosswise thereof at the bottom and top of said flaps, to form a rectangular side portion hingedly connected to the remainder of said side panel, and a rectangular top portion formed at right angles to said side portion, said top portion having topside flaps disposed in and secured in overlapping relation to said side panel flaps to rigidly secure said top portion at right angles to said side panel portion, and provide complemental portions for the cut out areas of the front and back panels, flaps extending from the upper edges of said front and back panels and disposed in overlapping relation to form a top for said carton terminating at the cut out areas, and lip means applied to the inside walls of the front and back panels along the edges of the cut out areas, and the inside wall of the top and along the edge of said top connecting said out out areas, said lip means providing a flange to cooperate with the lid when closed to seal the carton.

4-. An expendable package for cigarettes comprising a rectangular carton having a corner hinged lid, said carton being formed from a sheet of thin relatively stiff material, said carton comprising rectangular front and back panels, and a side panel, said side panel being connected to the longer side edges of said front and back panels aiong folds extending from the bottom thereof terminating short of the top and being adapted to extend lengthwise in relation to cigarettes disposed within the package, substantially square corner portions severed and cutout from said front and back panels to provide cut out areas of a width at least one-third of the width of the front panel, said portions thus cut away forming integral flaps on said side panel, said side panel extending beyond said flaps and being scored crosswise thereof at the bottom and top of said flaps, to form a rectangular side portion hingedly connected to the remainder of said side panel, and a rectangular top portion formed at right angles to said side portion, said top portion having topside flaps disposed in and secured in overlapping relation to said side panel flaps to rigidly secure said top portion at right angles to said side panel portion, and provide complemental portions for the cut out areas of the front and back panels, flaps extending from the upper edges of said front and back panels and disposed in overlapping relation to form a top for said carton terminating at the cut out areas, resilient means applied to the inside face of said side panel across the bottom score to yieldingly urge said lid to closed position, and lip means applied to the inside walls of the front and back panels along the edges of the cut out areas, and the inside wall of the top and along the edge of said top connecting said cut out areas, said lip means providing a flange to cooperate with the lid when closed to seal the carton.

5. A blank for forming an expendable cigarette carton comprising a thin sheet of stiff material having scorings and cuts defining rectangular front and back panels spaced by an intervening end panel extending along the longer sides of said front and back panels, each of said panels having top flaps of a width not greater than the width of said end panel, the front panel and its flap, and the back panel and its flap each having an F cut, to provide a substantially square corner opening in each of the front and back panels, and side and top panels with separate overlappable side flaps for each, for forming a four sided lid as an integral part of the end panel, the square corner opening provided being of a width at least one-third of the width of the front panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Del Hoyo Nov. 8, 1927 Wilson Nov. 12, 1929 Hartmann May 2, 1933 Elliott Oct. 3, 1933 Marsh Feb. 20, 1934 Wilson May 28, 1940 Alden Sept. 18, 1956 

5. A BLANK FOR FORMING AN EXPENDABLE CIGARETTE CARTON COMPRISING A THIN SHEET OF STIFF MATERIAL HAVING SCORINGS AND CUTS DEFINING RECTANGULAR FRONT AND BACK PANELS SPACED BY AN INTERVENING END PANEL EXTENDING ALONG THE LONGER SIDES OF SAID FRONT AND BACK PANELS, EACH OF SAID PANELS HAVING TOP FLAPS OF A WIDTH NOT GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID END PANEL, THE FRONT PANEL AND ITS FLAP, AND THE BACK PANEL AND ITS FLAP EACH HAVING AN "F" CUT, TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY SQUARE CORNER OPENING IN EACH OF THE FRONT AND BACK PANELS, AND SIDE AND TOP PANELS WITH SEPARATE OVERLAPPABLE SIDE FLAPS FOR EACH, FOR FORMING A FOUR SIDED LID AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE END PANEL, THE SQUARE CORNER OPENING PROVIDED BEING OF A WIDTH AT LEAST ONE-THIRD OF THE WIDTH OF THE FRONT PANEL. 